Children are our future

Paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the care of infants, children and adolescents. With over ten years paediatrics experience in various countries, Dr Madan Mohan Rao of the Bahrain Specialist Hospital knows a thing or two about keeping children healthy until they are old enough to take care of themselves.

Dr Rao stresses that the first priorities of both the doctor and the parent are preventive care, monitoring of growth, development and nutrition as well as taking into consideration the social and environmental issues that could be affecting the child. New-born babies and children up to the age of 18 all come under the care of a paediatrician.

He says that, “While first time parents may be a little apprehensive or overenthusiastic, it is better to take it seriously and detect something early than to totally ignore it. In practice, we treat the whole family, not just the child.” While it is clear paediatrics differs from adult medicine in many respects, the obvious body size differences are paralleled by maturational changes. The smaller body of an infant or new-born is substantially different physiologically from that of an adult. “A child must be treated as a child and not be considered as a miniature adult, which is a mistake many still make,” says Dr Rao.

The most common symptoms displayed by children in Bahrain are of flu, throat and ear infections, gastric problems and asthma. However, because a child cannot always communicate how they really feel or what the problems really are, getting to the cause or source of the problem can prove a complicated task which is why parents must not take any complaint or discomfort lightly. While the most common disease in children in Bahrain is asthma, Dr Rao stresses, “excessive coughing at night without any illness can be mistaken for a common cough, while in reality it could be asthma, and if left untreated could cause major discomfort to the child and lead to other complications.”

Dr Rao also thinks that obesity in children is still on the rise. “Children should be more active and stop eating junk food. Their diets should be low fat and junk food should be restricted if not eliminated as it only contribute to the on-going struggle against weight gain. Playing outdoors and exercising should be encouraged by parents, who want to see their children growing and developing healthily,” he says. “Parents shouldn’t be happy that their child is putting on weight abnormally as this could lead to the child putting on more and more weight until they are clinically obese. This in turn can lead to many health and social complications including heart disease and diabetes.”

Dr Rao makes it clear that it is crucial that infants should always be vaccinated against all the usual childhood diseases as well as those that can be complicated if contracted in adulthood. He outlines a child’s relationship with its paediatrician, “From two weeks after birth an infant should be registered with a paediatrician and visit regularly until around age 18 years old, especially during adolescence which is a period where children go through major social and physical changes.” Dr Rao encourages parents to make regular appointments for their children to visit their paediatrician adding, “Early detection and treatment will give them excellent results. “

The Bahrain Specialist Hospital is located in Juffair; Tel. +973 1781 2166, 1781 2200, 1781 2222, 1771 2000 or visit www.bsh.com.bh.